Deirdre's Delimma is Decoding

Current research amply documents that difficulty in acquiring literacy skills in a timely manner negatively impacts children diagnosed with a specific learning disability (SLD), including dyslexia. Dyslexia is particularly resistant to instruction because the dyslexic student usually has a long history of academic failure. Based on theories of reading acquisition and the critical role of motivation to read,this case study set out to evaluate an intervention claiming to be effective in the remediation of dyslexia. Weekly Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) scores were averaged and graphically analyzed to show student's progression. These analyses led to the conclusion that phonemic instruction was instrumental in helping with decoding and that a balanced approach to reading acquisition, which inlcuded high-interest connected text, was effective in remediation. This research informs educational practices for children with dyslexia indicating that the academic performance of dyslexic children can be improved.